Matama e bupelo a Jakubo
1 Jakubo kadana bakololo babe kati ku bali, “Kubunganani kuti ndimubudze tjinowoshingikala mu mazhuba anozha.
2 “Kubunganani mubhulutane,
imwi bakololo ba Jakubo,
hwililani tate benyu Iziraela.
3 “Rubheni, iwe u mbano yangu,
u simba langu ne ntjelo we kuzwihwa kwangu
unopinda bose nge mamo ne simba.
4 Unokubhungana se vula,
autowobe utji nkulu,
ngoti wakatatha bulawo gwa tate babo,
ukatemapadza malalo angu.
5 “Simiyoni na Levi bana be nkadzi,
mathumo abo zwibhayano zwe phipiti.
6 Ngandisiwanike mu nlangano wabo,
meya yangu usishangane ne gubungano labo,
ngoti mu kugwadza moyo kwabo bakabulaya bathu,
bakathubula ngabe makanyu besudza.
7 Kugwadza moyo kwabo ngakube bhiso, ngoti kotjisa,
ne bushongola gwabo, ngoti gwakabipa.
Ndowobakobanya muna Jakubo,
abapaladza mu Iziraela.
8 “Juda, bana ba tate babo banowokukudza,
tjiazha tjitjo tjowobe pa hwulo dze zwita zwizo,
bana ba tate babo banowokuthigamila.
9 Juda i shumbana,
unoshandukila ku guwu lilo wabulaya.
Unolala pasi, kazwitambunudza se shumba.
Unonga shumbakadzi, ndiani ungammusa kene?
10 Ludozo gwe bushe agutowobhuda muna Juda,
ne swimbo ye bushe aingabhude pakati kwe bana babe,
kuswikila wakagulingisana ezha,
njudzi dzose dzowonteedza.
11 Unosungilila donkana iye pa nzhambi,
donkana e isungilila pa nzhambi washalugwa.
Unosuka zwiambalo zwizwe nge nkumbi,
jasi lile unolisuka nge nkumbi nshaba se malopa.
12 Mesho awe mashabashaba ngo laladzisa,
meno awe matjena ngo ng'wisa nkaka.
13 “Zebuluni unowogala mu tjekelo dze gungwa,
unowobe maswikilo e zwikepe,
n'gathu uwe unowobe ku Sidoni.
14 “Isakari i donki yakasima,
ilele pakati kwe matanga.
15 Wakabona kuti magalo e kunyaluluka mabuya,
ne kuti shango yakanaka,
ndizo kaduma kupika ntolo
kabe nlanda unoshingisiwa zwakasima.
16 “Dani unowosumikilisa bathu babe,
se tjimwe tje itjaba tje Iziraela.
17 Dani unowobe nyoka i pa hwunde ye zila,
ipakupaku tji mu zijana,
tjinoluma mbizi mu itshitshino,
ntathi wayo kawila pasi.
18 “Ndakalindila jidzo lenyu, Yahwe.
19 “Gadi unowonginiligwa nge gupo le batoleli,
koga unowobalonda kabanginilila.
20 “Asheri unowobe ne zojiwa zwi pezhugwi,
unowobe ne zojiwa zwakafanila mambo.
21 “Nafutali i phala hadzi yakasununguka,
inozwala phalana dzakanaka.
22 “Josefa lutabi gunozwala,
lutabi gunozwala gupa nsenya,
thabi dzidze dzotatha guma.
23 Babhayani nge misebe bakan'nginilila kunotjisa,
bakamposa bakammanikidza.
24 Koga dati lile likasitongozunguzika,
ne maboko awe akathamiwa majatu,
nge maboko a Masimbawose wa Jakubo,
nge zina le Nlisi, Shongwe ye Iziraela.
25 Ndzimu wa botate benyu unomubhatsha,
Masimbawose banowomukombolela,
nge makombolelo e vula kudwa kudzimu,
nenge makombolelo nge vula i pasi,
nge makombolelo e zwithuwo ne bana.
26 Makombolelo a tate babo makulu
pa makombolelo e matombo agelile tjose,
kupinda bubuya gose gwe matuthu amile nge kusingapele,
atshene angabe makombolelo a Josefa,
iye wakathamiwa ntungamili we bakulu babe.
27 “Bhenjamini i phele inopalulanya,
mu mangwanana inoja tjayabhata,
madekwana inokoba tjaatolela.”
28 Bose ibaba i njudzi dzili gumi lina mbili dze Iziraela. Matama iyawa ndiwo akalebgwa ndi tate babo tjibaka tjabakabe bebakombolela, bekombolela mmwe ne mmwe nge tjakanlingisana.
Lufu ne mbiganyo ya Jakubo
29 Ipapo kabalaya eti, “Ndabe pejo ngofa. Mundibiganye pakabiganyiwa botate bangu mu guwu li mu nnda wa Efuroni we Nhiti, 30 mu guwu li mu nnda ku Makipela, pejo ne Mamure mu shango ye Kanana, mu ntuthu wakatengwa ndi Abhurahama kuna Efuroni we Nhiti kube zwikumbu. 31 Abhurahama ne nkadzikulu uwe Sara bakabiganyiwako, Isaki ne nkadzikulu uwe bakabiganyiwako Ribeka wakabiganyiwako, nami ndakabiganya Liya ko. 32 Ntuthu iwoyo ne guwu li imomo zwakatengwa mu Bahiti.” 33 Kwakati Jakubo epedza kulaya bakololo babe kalala pa bulawo kafema gwe bupelo ngono kafa.
Jacob Blesses His Sons
1 Jacob called his sons together and said:
My sons, I am Jacob,
your father Israel.
2 Come, gather around,
as I tell your future.
3 Reuben, you are my oldest,
born at the peak of my powers;
you were an honored leader.
4 Uncontrollable as a flood,
you slept with my wife
and disgraced my bed.
And so you no longer deserve
the place of honor.
5 Simeon and Levi,
you are brothers,
each a gruesome sword.
6 I never want to take part
in your plans or deeds.
You slaughtered people
in your anger,
and you crippled cattle
for no reason.
7 Now I place a curse on you
because of
your fierce anger.
Your descendants
will be scattered
among the tribes of Israel.
8 Judah, you will be praised
by your brothers;
they will bow down to you,
as you defeat your enemies.
9 My son, you are a lion
ready to eat your victim!
You are terribly fierce;
no one will bother you.
10 You will have power and rule
until nations obey you
and come bringing gifts.
11 You will tie your donkey
to a choice grapevine
and wash your clothes
in wine from those grapes.
12 Your eyes are darker than wine,
your teeth whiter than milk.
13 Zebulun, you will settle
along the seashore
and provide safe harbors
as far north as Sidon.
14 Issachar, you are a strong donkey
resting in the meadows.
15 You found them so pleasant
that you worked too hard
and became a slave.
16 Dan, you are the tribe
that will bring justice
to Israel.
17 You are a snake that bites
the heel of a horse,
making its rider fall.
18 Our Lord, I am waiting
for you to save us.
19 Gad, you will be attacked,
then attack your attackers.
20 Asher, you will eat food
fancy enough for a king.
21 Naphtali, you are a wild deer
with lovely fawns.
22 Joseph, you are a fruitful vine
growing near a stream
and climbing a wall.
23 Enemies attacked with arrows,
refusing to show mercy.
24 But you stood your ground,
swiftly shooting back
with the help of Jacob's God,
the All-Powerful One—
his name is the Shepherd,
Israel's mighty rock.
25 Your help came from the God
your father worshiped,
from God All-Powerful.
God will bless you with rain
and streams from the earth;
he will bless you
with many descendants.
26 My son, the blessings I give
are better than the promise
of ancient mountains
or eternal hills.
Joseph, I pray these blessings
will come to you,
because you are the leader
of your brothers.
27 Benjamin, you are a fierce wolf,
destroying your enemies
morning and evening.
28 These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is how Jacob gave each of them their proper blessings.
Jacob's Death
29-31 Jacob told his sons:
Soon I will die, and I want you to bury me in Machpelah Cave. Abraham bought this cave as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, and it is near the town of Mamre in Canaan. Abraham and Sarah are buried there, and so are Isaac and Rebekah. I buried Leah there too. 32 Both the cave and the land that goes with it were bought from the Hittites.
33 When Jacob had finished giving these instructions to his sons, he lay down on his bed and died.